Birth of Baha'u'llah - Devotional Program
Updated: Oct 13, 2020
A collection of quotes from the Baha'i writings on the Birth of Baha'u'llah that can be used as part of the Holy Day celebration.
The Birth
Magnified be Thy name, O my Lord, for Thou hast enabled me to recognize the Manifestation of Thine own Self, and hast caused me to be assured of the truth of the verses which have descended upon Thee. Empower me, I implore Thee, to cling steadfastly unto whatsoever Thou hast bidden me observe. Help me to guard the pearls of Thy love which, by Thy decree, Thou hast enshrined within my heart. Send down, moreover, every moment of my life, O my God, that which will preserve me from any one but Thee, and will set my feet firm in Thy Cause.
—Prayers and Meditations, Bahá'u'lláh: pages 176-177
Verily I say, this is the Day in which mankind can behold the Face, and hear the Voice, of the Promised One. The Call of God hath been raised, and the light of His countenance hath been lifted up upon men. It behoveth every man to blot out the trace of every idle word from the tablet of his heart, and to gaze, with an open and unbiased mind, on the signs of His Revelation, the proofs of His Mission, and the tokens of His glory. Great indeed is this Day! The allusions made to it in all the sacred Scriptures as the Day of God attest its greatness. —Bahá'u'lláh: Gleanings, Pages: 10-11
…there was born a Child in an ancient and noble family of Nur, whose father was Mirza 'Abbas, better known as Mirza Buzurg, a favoured minister of the Crown. That Child was Baha'u'llah. At the hour of dawn, on the second day of Muharram, in the year 1233 A.H., the world, unaware of its significance, witnessed the birth of Him who was destined to confer upon it such incalculable blessings.
—Nabil, pp.12-13.
Early Years
Bahá’u’lláh’s father had seven wives, and a great many children through them. At dawn, on the second day of the Islamic Year, on 12 November 1817, his wife Khadijih Khanum gave birth to the eldest of her surviving sons.
At that very same moment, Shaykh Ahmad, who announced the coming of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh, was found fallen upon his face, repeating in wrapt devotion the words, ‘God is Great!’ and saying, ‘That which I have been announcing to you is now revealed. At this very hour the light of the Promised One has broken, and is shedding illumination upon the world.’
From His birth, Bahá’u’lláh never cried, always remaining in a most remarkable state of peacefulness. His mother was completely astonished, and before long it became obvious to everyone around, that her Child was entirely different from other children.
Bahá’u’lláh was brought up on the outskirts of Tihran, but most summers were spent in His father’s great mansion in their ancestral village of Takur, on the shores of the sea.
Bahá’u’lláh as a child displayed a purity of character quite extraordinary, and a wonderful, innate wisdom and knowledge. He greatly loved outdoor life, spending most of His time in the garden or fields.
Extremely kind and generous, He had an incredible power of attraction, which was felt by all. People always crowded around Him, children were devoted to Him, and the ministers and people of the Court would gather about Him.
As He grew up, Bahá’u’lláh desired no schooling. He received a little customary education at home, in riding, using a sword or gun, good manners, calligraphy, poetries, and the ability to read out the words of the Qur’an.
Despite a lack education, Bahá’u’lláh shone forth in wisdom and ability, and all who knew Bahá’u’lláh were astonished. It was usual for them to say, that such a child will not live beyond maturity.
The Puppet Show
When Bahá’u’lláh was still a child, His father arranged for one of His older brothers to marry. The festivities lasted for seven days and nights, and on the final day, there was a puppet show. A large number of princes, dignitaries, and notables gathered from the capital for the occasion, and Bahá’u’lláh was sitting in one of the upper rooms of the building, watching.
A tent was pitched in the courtyard, and from it soon some tiny human-like figures emerged, crying, “His Majesty is coming! Arrange the seats at once!” Other figures came out, engaged in sweeping and sprinkling of water, and then the chief town crier bade the people assemble for the audience with the king. Bahá'u'lláh recounts that this was a grand puppet show about a famous king and the politics and warring of his kingdom.
After the show had ended, He saw a man come out from behind the tent carrying a box under his arm. “What is in the box?” Bahá’u’lláh asked. The man replied, “All these lavish trappings, the king, the princes, and the ministers, their pomp and glory, their might and power, everything you saw, are all now contained within this box.”
Of this event, Bahá’u’lláh wrote: “… ever since that day, all the trappings of the world have seemed in the eyes of this Youth akin to that same spectacle. They have never been, nor will ever be, possessed of any weight though it be to the extent of a grain of mustard seed…. Erelong these outward trappings, these heaped-up treasures, these earthly vanities, these amassed battalions, this gorgeous finery, these proud and overweening souls – all shall pass into the confines of the grave, as though in that box. In the eyes of those possessed of insight, all this conflict, dissension and vainglory hath been, and will ever be, like unto the sport of children.”
—Tablet to Ra’ís, Bahá’u’lláh
The Dream
One night Bahá’u’lláh appeared to his father in a dream, which was so very vivid, it awakened him. In the dream, Bahá’u’lláh was in a garden; great birds flew overhead; they attacked Him, yet they were powerless to harm Him. He was bathing in the sea, and began to swim in a vast, limitless ocean; His body shone out, and illuminated the sea! Above the waters, His long, jet-black locks, stood forth, floating in great profusion above the waves in all directions. Large numbers of fish gathered around Him, each fish holding fast to the end of a hair with its mouth. There were every kind of fish: large fish, small fish, white and black: and wherever He swam, they followed the light of His face. Such a vast number of fish clinging so tightly, caused no damage: not even a hair was lost from His head. Free and unrestrained, Bahá’u’lláh moved above the waters, with all the fish following His light.
His father was stunned by this dream, and with the Shah’s permission, laid it before his well-known seer. The seer, swept away with amazement, explained how the garden and its birds, and the limitless ocean with its fish, were the world of existence, and its people, and that Bahá’u’lláh would single-handedly triumph over it, unhindered and alone; yet, he declared himself quite unable to imagine how it could ever come to pass. So His father took him to see Bahá’u’lláh, who was just a Child of five, and his praise and admiration of Bahá’u’lláh was so profuse, and so great his concern that He be protected, that His father became yet more passionately devoted to Him.
First Imprisonment
Bahá’u’lláh spent his youth tending to the poor and needy. In 1844, the Báb (meaning “Gate”) declared that the Promised Day had come, and that “Him Whom God Shall Manifest” would soon appear. As a result of this movement, thousands were persecuted, and in 1852 Bahá’u’lláh was imprisoned in the “Black Pit” and tortured with a 100 pound chain around His neck: “Upon Our arrival We were first conducted along a pitch-black corridor, from whence We descended three steep flights of stairs to the place of confinement assigned to Us. The dungeon was wrapped in thick darkness, and Our fellow-prisoners numbered nearly a hundred and fifty souls: thieves, assassins and highwaymen. Though crowded, it had no other outlet than the passage by which We entered. No pen can depict that place, nor any tongue describe its loathsome smell. Most of these men had neither clothes nor bedding to lie on. God alone knoweth what befell Us in that most foul-smelling and gloomy place!”
(Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, Bahá’u’lláh: pages 20-21)
“All those who were struck down by the storm that raged during that memorable year in Tihran were Our fellow-prisoners in the Síyáh-Chál, where We were confined. We were all huddled together in one cell, our feet in stocks, and around our necks fastened the most galling of chains. The air we breathed was laded with the foulest impurities, while the floor on which we sat was covered with filth and infested with vermin. No ray of light was allowed to penetrate that pestilential dungeon or to warm its icy-coldness. We were placed in two rows, each facing the other. We had taught them to repeat certain verses which, every night, they chanted with extreme fervor. ‘God is sufficient unto me; He verily is the All-sufficing!’ one row would intone, while the other would reply: ‘In Him let the trusting trust.’ ”
(The Dawn-Breakers, Bahá’u’lláh: pp. 631-33)
“The Ancient Beauty hath consented to be bound with chains that mankind may be released from its bondage…” (Gleanings, Bahá’u’lláh: page 99)
In prison, Bahá’u’lláh received the first intimations of His Divine Mission: “During the days I lay in the prison of Tihran, though the galling weight of the chains and the stench-filled air allowed Me but little sleep, still in those infrequent moments of slumber I felt as if something flowed from the crown of My head over My breast, even as a mighty torrent … Every limb of My body would, as a result, be set afire. At such moments My tongue recited what no man could bear to hear.”
(Bahá’u’lláh: Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, page 22)
"While engulfed in tribulations I heard a most wondrous, a most sweet voice, calling above My head… `By God! This is the Best-Beloved of the worlds, and yet ye comprehend not. This is the Beauty of God amongst you, and the power of His sovereignty within you, could ye but understand. This is the Mystery of God and His Treasure, the Cause of God and His glory … if ye be of them that perceive.'"
(Shoghi Effendi: God Passes By, pages 101-102)
Glimmerings
Just as Christ withdrew to the wilderness for 40 days before His ministry began, Bahá’u’lláh withdrew to the Mountains of Kurdistan: “We betook Ourselves to the wilderness, and there, separated and alone, led for two years a life of complete solitude. From Our eyes there rained tears of anguish, and in Our bleeding heart there surged an ocean of agonizing pain. Many a night We had no food for sustenance, and many a day Our body found no rest…. notwithstanding these showers of afflictions and unceasing calamities, Our soul was wrapt in blissful joy, and Our whole being evinced an ineffable gladness. For in Our solitude We were unaware of the harm or benefit, the health or ailment, of any soul. Alone, We communed with Our spirit, oblivious of the world and all that is therein…. until the hour when, from the Mystic Source, there came the summons bidding Us return whence We came. Surrendering Our will to His, We submitted to His injunction.”
(The Kitab-i-Iqan, pages 250-251)
Upon His return Bahá’u’lláh began to write and teach among the people. The clergy became jealous of His growing influence, and plotted to wage a “holy war” against Him and His community. The leading cleric , however, refused, and instead instructed that a list of questions be submitted to Bahá’u’lláh. His perfect answers further flamed their jealousy, and them and they demanded that He perform a miracle. Bahá’u’lláh replied: “Although you have no right to ask this, for God should test His creatures, and they should not test God, still I allow and accept this request. But the Cause of God is not a theatrical display that is presented every hour, of which some new diversion may be asked for every day…. The ulamas (clergy) must, therefore, assemble, and, with one accord, choose one miracle, and write that, after the performance of this miracle they will no longer entertain doubts about Me, and that all will acknowledge and confess the truth of My Cause. Let them seal this paper, and bring it to Me. This must be the accepted criterion: if the miracle is performed, no doubt will remain for them; and if not, We shall be convicted of imposture." Fearing what would happen if the miracle were performed, the clergy never responded.
(Some Answered Questions, page 29)
The Declaration
In April 1863, in the garden of Ridvan, on the banks of the Tigris River, Bahá’u’lláh revealed what many of His growing number of followers already suspected – that He was the One promised by the Báb, and by all of the Holy Books of the past.
To Christendom Christ returned ‘in the glory of the Father,’ to Shi’ih Islam the return of the Imam Husayn; to Sunni Islam the descent of the ‘Spirit of God’; to the Zoroastrians the promised Shah-Bahram; to the Hindus the reincarnation of Krishna; to the Buddhists the fifth Buddha.
—Shoghi Effendi in God Passes By, from the Baha’i writings
When a divine spiritual illumination becomes manifest in the world of humanity, when divine instruction and guidance appear, then enlightenment follows, a new spirit is realised within, a new power descends, and a new life is given.
— Abdu’l-Baha, from the Baha’i writings
The Divine Springtime is come, O Most Exalted Pen, for the Festival of the All-Merciful is fast approaching. Bestir thyself, and magnify, before the entire creation, the name of God, and celebrate His praise, in such wise that all created things may be regenerated and made new... This is the Day whereon naught can be seen except the splendours of the Light that shineth from the face of Thy Lord, the Gracious, the Most Bountiful...
— Gleanings from the writings of Baha’u’llah
“Verily I say, this is the Day in which mankind can behold the Face, and hear the Voice, of the Promised One. The Call of God hath been raised, and the light of His countenance hath been lifted up upon men. It behoveth every man to blot out the trace of every idle word from the tablet of his heart, and to gaze, with an open and unbiased mind, on the signs of His Revelation, the proofs of His Mission, and the tokens of His glory. Great indeed is this Day! The allusions made to it in all the sacred Scriptures as the Day of God attest its greatness. The soul of every Prophet of God, of every Divine Messenger, hath thirsted for this wondrous Day. All the divers kindreds of the earth have, likewise, yearned to attain it.”
— Gleanings, Bahá’u’lláh: pages 10-11
Exile and Triumpth
In the latter portion of His life Bahá’u’lláh was again exiled, this time to Israel, the Holy Land: “More grievous became Our plight from day to day, nay, from hour to hour, until they took Us forth from Our prison and made Us, with glaring injustice, enter the Most Great Prison. And if anyone ask them: `For what crime were they imprisoned?' they would answer and say: `They, verily, sought to supplant the Faith with a new religion!' … If this be My crime, then Muhammad, the Apostle of God, committed it before Me, and before Him He Who was the Spirit of God (Jesus Christ), and yet earlier He Who conversed with God (Moses). And if My sin be this, that I have exalted the Word of God and revealed His Cause, then indeed am I the greatest of sinners! Such a sin I will not barter for the kingdoms of earth and heaven.
(Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, Bahá’u’lláh: page 52)
Bahá’u’lláh addressed virtually all the leading Kings and Rulers of His day, instructing them to treat those they ruled with justice, and to recognize Him. His summons was almost entirely ignored: “O kings of the earth! He Who is the sovereign Lord of all is come… Worship none but God, and, with radiant hearts, lift up your faces unto your Lord, the Lord of all names.” (The Kitab-i-Aqdas, Bahá’u’lláh: page 48)
To Pope Pius IX, He wrote: “O Pope! Rend the veils asunder. He Who is the Lord of Lords is come overshadowed with clouds ... He, verily, hath again come down from Heaven even as He came down from it the first time... Dwellest thou in palaces whilst He Who is the King of Revelation liveth in the most desolate of abodes? Leave them unto such as desire them, and set thy face with joy and delight towards the Kingdom...
(Bahá’u’lláh: Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, Page: 83)
To Napoleon III, He wrote: “O King of Paris! … Know of a truth that your subjects are God's trust amongst you. Watch ye, therefore, over them as ye watch over your own selves. Beware that ye allow not ... pride and conceit to deter you from turning unto the poor and the desolate…. (The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, pages 17-23)
In 1892 Bahá’u’lláh left this earth: “Be not dismayed, O peoples of the world, when the day-star of My beauty is set, and the heaven of My tabernacle is concealed from your eyes. Arise to further My Cause, and to exalt My Word amongst men. We are with you at all times, and shall strengthen you through the power of truth.”
(Bahá’u’lláh: The Kitab-i-Aqdas, pages 32-33)
From the Hidden Words
Love
O Son of Spirit!
My first counsel is this: Possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart, that thine may be a sovereignty ancient, imperishable and everlasting.
O Friend!
In the garden of thy heart plant naught but the rose of love, and from the nightingale of affection and desire loosen not thy hold. Treasure the companionship of the righteous and eschew all fellowship with the ungodly.
O Son of Justice!
Whither can a lover go but to the land of his beloved? and what seeker findeth rest away from his heart's desire? To the true lover reunion is life, and separation is death. His breast is void of patience and his heart hath no peace. A myriad lives he would forsake to hasten to the abode of his beloved.
Detachment
O Son of Passion!
Cleanse thyself from the defilement of riches and in perfect peace advance into the realm of poverty; that from the well-spring of detachment thou mayest quaff the wine of immortal life.
O Son of Man!
Should prosperity befall thee, rejoice not, and should abasement come upon thee, grieve not, for both shall pass away and be no more.
O Son of Being!
If thine heart be set upon this eternal, imperishable dominion, and this ancient, everlasting life, forsake this mortal and fleeting sovereignty.
Elimination of Extremes of Wealth and Poverty
O Children of Dust!
Tell the rich of the midnight sighing of the poor, lest heedlessness lead them into the path of destruction, and deprive them of the Tree of Wealth. To give and to be generous are attributes of Mine; well is it with him that adorneth himself with My virtues.
O Ye Rich Ones on the Earth!
The poor in your midst are My trust; guard ye My trust and be not intent only on your own ease.
Life after Life
O Son of Being!
Bring thyself to account each day ere thou art summoned to a reckoning; for death, unheralded, shall come upon thee and thou shalt be called to give account for thy deeds.
O Son of the Supreme!
I have made death a messenger of joy to thee. Wherefore dost thou grieve? I made the light to shed on thee its splendor. Why dost thou veil thyself therefrom?
O Son of Spirit!
With the joyful tidings of light I hail thee: rejoice! To the court of holiness I summon thee; abide therein that thou mayest live in peace for evermore.
Unity
O Children of Men!
Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over the other. Ponder at all times in your hearts how ye were created. Since We have created you all from one same substance it is incumbent on you to be even as one soul, to walk with the same feet, eat with the same mouth and dwell in the same land, that from your inmost being, by your deeds and actions, the signs of oneness and the essence of detachment may be made manifest.
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great.
This is the month wherein was born He Who beareth the Most Great Name, Whose appearance hath caused the limbs of humankind to quake and the dust of Whose footsteps the Concourse on high and the dwellers of the cities of names have sought for a blessing. Whereupon they rendered praise unto God and cried out in joy and exultation. By God! This is the month through which all other months have been illumined, the month wherein He Who is the hidden Secret and the well-guarded Treasure hath been made manifest and hath called aloud amidst all humankind. All dominion belongeth to this newborn Child through Whom the face of creation hath been wreathed in smiles, and the trees have swayed, and the oceans have surged, and the mountains have taken flight, and Paradise hath lifted its voice, and the Rock hath cried out, and all things have exclaimed, “O concourse of creation! Hasten ye towards the dawning-place of the countenance of your Lord, the Merciful, the Compassionate!”
This is the month wherein Paradise itself was decked forth with the splendours of the countenance of its Lord, the All-Merciful, and the heavenly Nightingale warbled its melody upon the Divine Lote-Tree, and the hearts of the favoured ones were filled with rapture. But alas the people, for the most part, are heedless. Blessed be the one who hath recognized Him and apprehended that which was promised in the Books of God, the Almighty, the All-Praised; and woe betide him that hath turned aside from the One upon Whom the Concourse on high have fixed their gaze, Him who hath confounded every wayward misbeliever.
When once thou hast received this Tablet, intone it in the sweetest of melodies and say: Praise be to Thee, O my most merciful Lord, for remembering me in this Tablet whereby the fragrance of the garment of Thy knowledge was diffused and the oceans of Thy grace were made to surge. I bear witness that Thou art potent to do as Thou pleasest. No God is there but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
— Baha’u’llah, Má’idiy-i-Ásmání , vol. 4, p. 342, from the Bahá’í writings
The Station of Bahá'u'lláh
Concerning the uniqueness of Bahá'u'lláh's station and the greatness of His Revelation, Shoghi Effendi affirms that the prophetic statements concerning the "Day of God", found in the Sacred Scriptures of past Dispensations, are fulfilled by the advent of Bahá'u'lláh:
“To Israel He was neither more nor less than the
incarnation of the "Everlasting Father", the "Lord of Hosts" come down "with ten thousands of saints";
to Christendom Christ returned "in the glory of the
Father";
to Shi'ah Islam the return of the Imam Husayn;
to Sunni Islam the descent of the "Spirit of God" (Jesus Christ);
to the Zoroastrians the promised Shah-Bahram;
to the Hindus the reincarnation of Krishna;
to the Buddhists the fifth Buddha.”
~ Universal House of Justice, Aqdas Notes, p. 234
Description of Bahá'u'lláh
“The face of him on whom I gazed I can never forget, though I cannot describe it. Those piercing eyes seemed to read one’s very soul; power and authority sat on that ample brow...no need to ask in whose presence I stood, as I bowed myself before one who is the object of a devotion and love which kings might envy and emperors sigh for in vain!” - E.G. Browne, Cambridge professor
Names of Bahá’u’lláh
In the name He bore He combined those of the Imám Husayn, the most illustrious of the successors of the Apostle of God--the brightest "star" shining in the "crown" mentioned in the Revelation of St. John--
and of the Imám `Alí, the Commander of the Faithful, the second of the two "witnesses" extolled in that same Book.
He was formally designated Bahá'u'lláh, an appellation specifically recorded in the Persian Bayán,
signifying at once the glory, the light and the splendor of God,
and was styled the "Lord of Lords,"
the "Most Great Name,"
the "Ancient Beauty,"
the "Pen of the Most High,
the "Hidden Name,"
the "Preserved Treasure,"
"He Whom God will make manifest,"
the "Most Great Light,"
the "All-Highest Horizon,"
the "Most Great Ocean,"
the "Supreme Heaven,"
the "Pre-Existent Root,"
the "Self-Subsistent,"
the "Day-Star of the Universe,"
the "Great Announcement,"
the "Speaker on Sinai,"
the "Sifter of Men,"
the "Wronged One of the World,"
the "Desire of the Nations,"
the "Lord of the Covenant,"
the "Tree beyond which there is no passing."
He derived His descent, on the one hand, from Abraham…and on the other from Zoroaster,
as well as from Yazdigird, the last king of the Sásáníyán dynasty.
He was moreover a descendant of Jesse, and belonged, through His father, Mírzá Abbás, better known as Mírzá Buzurg--a nobleman closely associated with the ministerial circles of the Court of Fath-`Alí Sháh--to one of the most ancient and renowned families of Mazindarán.
-- Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By
Reading about Bahá'u'lláh’s Life
Tonight I wish to tell you something of the history of the Baha'i Revelation. The Blessed Perfection, Baha'u'llah, belonged to the nobility of Persia. From earliest childhood He was distinguished among His relatives and friends. They said, "This child has extraordinary power." In wisdom, intelligence and as a source of new knowledge, He was advanced beyond His age and superior to His surroundings. All who knew Him were astonished at His precocity. It was usual for them to say, "Such a child will not live," for it is commonly believed that precocious children do not reach maturity. During the period of youth the Blessed Perfection did not enter school. He was not willing to be taught. This fact is well established among the Persians of Tihran. Nevertheless, He was capable of solving the difficult problems of all who came to Him. In whatever meeting, scientific assembly or theological discussion He was found, He became the authority of explanation upon intricate and abstruse questions presented.
Until His father passed away, Baha'u'llah did not seek position or political station notwithstanding His connection with the government. This occasioned surprise and comment. It was frequently said, "How is it that a young man of such keen intelligence and subtle perception does not seek lucrative appointments? As a matter of fact, every position is open to him." This is an historical statement fully attested by the people of Persia.
He was most generous, giving abundantly to the poor. None who came to Him were turned away. The doors of His house were open to all. He always had many guests. This unbounded generosity was conducive to greater astonishment from the fact that He sought neither position nor prominence. In commenting upon this His friends said He would become impoverished, for His expenses were many and His wealth becoming more and more limited. "Why is he not thinking of his own affairs?" they inquired of each other; but some who were wise declared, "This personage is connected with another world; he has something sublime within him that is not evident now; the day is coming when it will be manifested." In truth, the Blessed Perfection was a refuge for every weak one, a shelter for every fearing one, kind to every indigent one, lenient and loving to all creatures…
During His lifetime He was intensely active. His energy was unlimited. Scarcely one night was passed in restful sleep. He bore these ordeals, suffered these calamities and difficulties in order that a manifestation of selflessness and service might become apparent in the world of humanity; that the Most Great Peace should become a reality; that human souls might appear as the angels of heaven; that heavenly miracles would be wrought among men; that human faith should be strengthened and perfected; that the precious, priceless bestowal of God - the human mind - might be developed to its fullest capacity in the temple of the body; and that man might become the reflection and likeness of God, even as it hath been revealed in the Bible, "Let us make man in our image."
Briefly, the Blessed Perfection bore all these ordeals and calamities in order that our hearts might become enkindled and radiant, our spirits be glorified, our faults become virtues, our ignorance be transformed into knowledge; in order that we might attain the real fruits of humanity and acquire heavenly graces; in order that, although pilgrims upon earth, we should travel the road of the heavenly Kingdom, and, although needy and poor, we might receive the treasures of eternal life. For this has He borne these difficulties and sorrows.
Trust all to God. The lights of God are resplendent. The blessed Epistles are spreading. The blessed teachings are promulgated throughout the East and West. Soon you will see that the heavenly Words have established the oneness of the world of humanity. The banner of the Most Great Peace has been unfurled, and the great community is appearing.
- `Abdu'l-Baha: Promulgation of Universal Peace, pp. 21-29
Bahá’u’lláh left behind writings covering a vast range of subjects, teaching that:
There is only one God: “Regard thou the one true God as One Who is apart from, and immeasurably exalted above, all created things. The whole universe reflecteth His glory, while He … transcendeth His creatures.”
We have been created to know and to love God, and each other: “I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to worship Thee.” “Ye were created to show love one to another ...”
We are spiritual beings with an eternal soul: “Know thou of a truth that the soul, after its separation from the body, will continue to progress until it attaineth the presence of God ...”
Heaven is nearness to God, Hell is remoteness and self-absorption: “They say: `Where is Paradise, and where is Hell?' Say: `The one is reunion with Me; the other thine own self …”
The unity of the world’s religions, and their progressive nature: “This is the changeless Faith of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future.” “Every Prophet Whom the Almighty and Peerless Creator hath purposed to send to the peoples of the earth hath been … charged to act in a manner that would best meet the requirements of the age in which He appeared.”
Peace through collective security and international cooperation: “Such a peace demandeth that the Great Powers should resolve, for the sake of the tranquillity of the peoples of the earth, to be fully reconciled among themselves. Should any king take up arms against another, all should unitedly arise and prevent him. If this be done, the nations of the world will no longer require any armaments, except for the purpose of preserving the security ...”
The central role of justice in establishing peace: “Justice and equity are twin Guardians that watch over men... (They) are the cause of the well-being of the world and the protection of the nations.”
Religion must be a source of unity and not discord: “Consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship.” “… the manifold systems of religious belief, should never be allowed to foster the feelings of animosity among men...”
The oneness of the human family and the elimination of prejudice: “It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.” “Close your eyes to racial differences, and welcome all with the light of oneness.”
We must live a moral life, centered on spiritual principals and laws: “ … desire not for any one the things ye would not desire for yourselves. This is My best counsel unto you, did ye but observe it.” “The essence of faith is fewness of words and abundance of deeds…”
The central role of marriage and family life: Bahá’u’lláh refers to marriage as a “fortress for well-being and salvation.” He wrote that parents must teach their children of faith and spirituality, “for should the children not attain this greatest of adornments, they will not obey their parents, which in a certain sense means that they will not obey God.” To children He wrote, “Beware lest ye commit that which would sadden the hearts of your fathers and mothers…. Should anyone give you a choice between the opportunity to render a service to Me and a service to them, choose ye to serve them, and let such service be a path leading you to Me.”
The Equality of Women & Men: “Women and men have been and will always be equal in the sight of God.”
